The UAE air traffic movements grew by 11.3 per cent in June, reaching to 52 thousand air traffic movements as compared with 47 thousand air traffic movements in the same month last year, according an announcement of UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
As such, air traffic movement maintained this month the high average achieved in the first five months of this year.
GCAA’s monthly report for June 2010 showed that Dubai ranked first with 23824 air traffic movements. over flights stood next at 11292 air traffic movements. Abu Dhabi ranked third with 7815 air traffic movements. According to the report, air traffic movements in Sharjah International Airport ranked fourth with 5352 movements. Local flights between UAE airports were in the fifth position with 3098 movements. Fujairah International Airport witnessed 334 movements, while Al Ain Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport had 218 and 102 air traffic movements respectively. The recently opened Al Maktoum International Airport witnessed 4 movements.
The report indicated that as far as air safety is concerned, GCAA completed 17 transactions related to certificates for aircraft maintenance companies, 8 transactions of aircraft registration certificates and 59 transactions of airworthiness certificates. Further, GCAA conducted 44 inspections and audits at the local and non-local levels, issued 2 air operator certificates, completed 9 aircraft modification transactions and issued 19 simulator certificates and 30 examination permits.
As for security and infrastructure operations, GCAA conducted 21 inspections and audits and renewed 4 licenses for companies operating in dangerous goods. It also renewed 1 certificate for teaching a course on dangerous goods in training institutes. GCAA prepared 197 aviation Occurrence Report Review, held 44 internal and external meetings in relation to security and infrastructure operations with several institutions and companies operating in the field of civil aviation in the UAE, and provided 10 emergency training courses.
With regard to air transportation, GCAA signed in June air transport agreements and memoranda of understanding with the Republic of Rwanda and Barbados, signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil, held joint committee meetings to discuss enhanced cooperation in air transportation with Rwanda, Russia, India, uk, Mexico and Canada, and attended ICAN Conference in Jamaica.
As for crew licensing, GCAA issued 400 new crew licenses, renewed 205 licenses, issued 73 temporary permits and 27 letters certifying aircraft license details, completed 119 type additions to licenses, issued 64 replacement licenses, and conducted 112 crew examinations, thereby bringing the number of crew licensing transactions in June 2010 to 1000.
Regarding aircraft maintenance engineers licensing, GCAA issued 31 new licenses, renewed 25 licenses, completed 282 type additions to licenses, issued 1 replacement license and 30 temporary permits, conducted 266 aircraft maintenance engineer examinations and issued 15 letters certifying aviation license details, thereby bringing the total number of aircraft maintenance engineers licensing transactions last month to 650.
Regarding aeromedical activities, the report indicated that GCAA issued 752 medical certificates in various qualified categories, appointed 7 medical committees to hold medical councils, approved 5 final decisions of medical committees, carried out 57 transactions to return crew licenses and approved 5 final decisions by medical committees. As such, aeromedical-related transactions in June 2010 stood at 821.
Further, the report showed that GCAA issued 34 new licenses and renewed other 24 to air traffic controllers, issued 14 air traffic control training permits, and conducted 57 type additions to licenses, thereby brining the total number of transactions related to air traffic controllers to 129. Meanwhile, 161 crew card transactions and 792 urgent service transactions were carried out.
On the other hand, GCAA conducted 10 technical and administrative, internal and external, courses were provided to a total of 162 trainees.
During the period 1-2 June2010, GCAA, in cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), organized the Regional Aviation Security Conference in Abu Dhabi, which was attended by Ministers of Transport in Arab states as well as several directors general of civil aviation authority. The Conference discussed several issues in relation to civil aviation security and safety and issued “Abu Dhabi Joint Declaration for Aviation Security” providing for a global strategy and key principles and standards to deal with aviation security challenges.
Furthermore, during the period 21-22 June, GCAA hosted ICAO’s Global Civil Aviation SAR Forum, which saw the participation of high-level delegations from a large number of ICAO members and active regional and international entities in civil aviation.
For the first time, the Forum was attended by all members of ICAO council. In the Forum, Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of GCAA, announced the commitment of the UAE, through GCAA, to establish a regional SAR coordination committee for the GCC states and suggested the formation of such committee of representatives from all these states, a representative of ICAO regional office and representatives of armed forces which have the authority to operate in the field of search and rescue in these states.
Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General, GCAA, commented: “The hosting and organization by GCAA of two international conferences last month in Abu Dhabi highlights the big role played by the UAE on the international level as a prominent destination for specialized conferences in civil aviation and enhances its regional role in this regard.” “We have succeeded in launching Abu Dhabi Joint Declaration for Aviation Security and the initiative for establishing an SAR coordination committee for GCC states at these two prominent forums. This is an achievement to be added to the innovated initiatives GCAA is seeking to strengthen, in addition to its practical role in technical and financial support of several countries in South Africa, Latin America and some Arab countries in field of civil aviation”, he added.
